007 Will Be Played By Black British Actress Lashana Lynch in 'Bond 25'

Philip Ellis

July 14, 2019 5:51 PM

Rumors have been circling for some time now that Daniel Craig could be ready to leave the character of James Bond behind, prompting speculation that the next iteration of the character will be played by a black actor, with Idris Elba the most popular choice. Some have even said that a more modern version of the character should be played by a woman - and now that is actually happening. Sort of.

007 Will Be a Black Woman in 'Bond 25' Movie

According to an insider, the upcoming Bond 25 will see Craig's secret agent retiring to the Caribbean, with black British actress Lashana Lynch playing a younger spy who takes over his iconic '007' codename. "There is a pivotal scene at the start of the film where M says 'Come in 007', and in walks Lashana who is black, beautiful and a woman," they told the Daily Mail . "It's a popcorn-dropping moment. Bond is still Bond but he's been replaced as 007 by this stunning woman."

"Bond, of course, is sexually attracted to the new female 007 and tries his usual seduction tricks, but is baffled when they don't work on a brilliant, young black woman who basically rolls her eyes at him and has no interest in jumping into his bed. Well, certainly not at the beginning."

The insider added that the term "Bond girls," a phrase coined to describe the female characters of the franchise, has been replaced by "Bond women."

"There's been a lot of talk about whether or not Bond is relevant now because of who he is and the way he treats women," said Phoebe Waller-Bridge, the writer of pop culture phenomenon Fleabag and cult spy series Killing Eve, who was brought in to tighten up the script on Bond 25. "I think he's absolutely relevant now. [The franchise] has just got to grow. It has just got to evolve, and the important thing is that the film treats the women properly. He doesn't have to. He needs to be true to his character."

Lashana Lynch is no stranger to films which bring much-needed female representation to male-dominated franchises; earlier this year she starred alongside Alison Brie in the MCU's record-breaking box office smash Captain Marvel as Maria Rambeau.

Philip Ellis